Dezeen Magazine

VilaSofa store by Tjep

Dutch designers Tjep. have designed a store interior for furniture brand VilaSofa in the Netherlands.

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"We used the idea of a warehouse as metaphor for speed: a place were goods are stored for the transition from the producer to the very personal environment of your home," says Frank Tjepkema of Tjep.

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The graphics are derived from symbols used in transportation, while a white wall with cut-out shapes representing chandeliers, windows and balconies represents the home.

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Staff use sales desks on wheels to allow customers to complete their purchase while sitting on their chosen sofa.

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The following information is from Tjep.:

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Tjep. was commissioned to create a shop environment for a new furniture brand called VilaSofa. VilaSofa is positioned between a conventional furniture shop and Ikea in terms of distribution speed. It offers mid-range prices for a wide public and a 48 hour delivery guarantee for all displayed models. The 48 hour claim became the main theme for the shop.

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We used the idea of a warehouse as metaphor for speed: a place were goods are stored for the transition from the producer to the very personal environment of your home. The conceptual solution was surprisingly simple and logical: a combination of warehouse esthetics and home esthetics. This resulted for example into materials such as plywood usually used for crates combined with high-end glossy finishes.

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The symbols used in transportation and packaging have been metamorphosed into decorative elements that form room dividers that are arranged to organize the space and routing.

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Finally there is a big wall suggesting the idea of a magical vila, this is the only place where the graphic references are more literal: a big chandelier, a diversity of playfully arranged windows, romantic balconies.

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In this space we placed big 'picnic' tables where clients can take their time to inform about the product, talk to the VilaSofa staff.

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Finally we designed mobile cashing systems so that clients can actually pay from their newly adopted sofa. VilaSofa offers a combination of existing sofa models and specially designed sofas by designers such as Monica Mulder and Khodi Feiz.

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Design team
Frank Tjepkema, Janneke Hooymans, Leonie Janssen, Tina Stieger, Bertrand Gravier, Camille Cortet